UTHSCSA (IS) vs. TAMU (IS)

[MR.GG]

I know this comparison has been asked before but I want to get some more opinions.

UTHSCSA
Pros:
- I have family in San Antonio. Not my parents but a Grandmother and an Aunt who I visited.
- I graduated from UTSA undergrad there in SA so I'm familiar with the city. Lived in SA 3 years.
- I have a couple friends still in SA and like 3 currently at the Health Science center for med and dental programs
- I've been told you get really good broad health care exposure there because you're in proximity of the med students/nurses/ dental hygienist

Cons:
- It's more expensive than A&M. Not by much. After doing some math it's like ~$12,000 more for the 4 years but still. This isn't a huge con because I have a scholarship paying for the first year of tuition.
- Environment seemed less friendly?? It could just be me but there's also so much talk online that UTSCSA is more competitive between students than A&M

A&M
Pros
- Brand New clinic opening this year. Looks insane
- I think the majority consensus is this is the best Texas school program wise
Cons
-Housing my possibly be more expensive since it's basically downtown Dallas
- We will be the first class with the new curriculum geared towards the integrated boards and I don't think any 2024 student has even seen what what curriculum looks like yet

-This is just going to be a discussion because the rest of the pros and cons are just the opposite of what I said about UTHSCSA. I made a really good connection with a faculty member at A&M and the student environment maybe seemed a little better. There's just is so much big talk on here about A&M. I know it's always debatable but the majority seems to say A&M is the best dental program in Texas. I just keep getting this thought in my head like if I chose UTHSCSA I'd be throwing away a spot in the best school in Texas just because I don't want to break my bubble and venture out to Dallas, make new friends, ect.

Any opinions are appreciated. If you think one school is better than the other I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Thanks.

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[MR.GG]

TL;DR- I went to undergrad in SA. Have family and friends there. Know the area. But A&M seems like the best program in Texas.

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[macsak]

TL;DR- I went to undergrad in SA. Have family and friends there. Know the area. But A&M seems like the best program in Texas.

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choose the school that is nearest to where you plan to practice in the future...

 

[MR.GG]

choose the school that is nearest to where you plan to practice in the future...

Problem is I don't know where I want to practice in the future lol. I want to be in Texas but I don't know the city. Dallas A&M would be about 2 hours closer to my hometown.

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[AppalachianDentalBoy]

Where you practice won't matter. All three schools have grads spread across the state.

If you attend A&M you will be in the second class with the new curriculum. A&M has the strongest clinic of the three for sure in terms of fixed and extractions. My mentor who teaches at a GPR says A&M grads cut better + faster crowns than Houston or San Antonio students during their interview exam, so if you're going into general dentistry and want to practice without an AEGD or GPR you will probably be the most confident out of the gates from A&M. I too felt more welcomed by the faculty/admin at A&M than san antonio and the students basically laughed me off at San Antonio when I said I wanted to specialize.

Two things you didn't mention that I found to be incredibly important in my decision making:

1. A&M finds and schedules patients for you while San Antonio only schedules them.
2. San Antonio implemented the curriculum change so the current D3s were the guinea pigs a few years back. I spoke to a D3 at San Antonio at the TMOM in Kerrville where she told me 10 members of her class were either held back a year or left and 8 members of the D2 class either repeated D1 or left. To me this is ridiculously high, much higher than either A&M or Houston.

I am biased though, if I stay in state I will be going to A&M.

 

[MR.GG]

Where you practice won't matter. All three schools have grads spread across the state.

If you attend A&M you will be in the second class with the new curriculum. A&M has the strongest clinic of the three for sure in terms of fixed and extractions. My mentor who teaches at a GPR says A&M grads cut better + faster crowns than Houston or San Antonio students during their interview exam, so if you're going into general dentistry and want to practice without an AEGD or GPR you will probably be the most confident out of the gates from A&M. I too felt more welcomed by the faculty/admin at A&M than san antonio and the students basically laughed me off at San Antonio when I said I wanted to specialize.

Two things you didn't mention that I found to be incredibly important in my decision making:

1. A&M finds and schedules patients for you while San Antonio only schedules them.
2. San Antonio implemented the curriculum change so the current D3s were the guinea pigs a few years back. I spoke to a D3 at San Antonio at the TMOM in Kerrville where she told me 10 members of her class were either held back a year or left and 8 members of the D2 class either repeated D1 or left. To me this is ridiculously high, much higher than either A&M or Houston.

I am biased though, if I stay in state I will be going to A&M.

Thank you for the insight. I've been talking to a friend. He's a D1 at UTHSCSA as well as a D1 friend at A&M and they both talk so much crap on the other school lol. It's like a college rivalry haha. But like they each say they have the best clinic, #1 school in Texas, most friendly ect ect. But in all honesty the programs seem really similar from their opinions...

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[AppalachianDentalBoy]

Thank you for the insight. I've been talking to a friend. He's a D1 at UTHSCSA as well as a D1 friend at A&M and they both talk so much crap on the other school lol. It's like a college rivalry haha. But like they each say they have the best clinic, #1 school in Texas, most friendly ect ect. But in all honesty the programs seem really similar from their opinions...

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They very much talk crap about each program lol. The "best" clinic in the state San Antonio does less crowns, extractions, and arches but does do a more fillings than A&M. Boy do those students like to remind you how 23 YEARS ago San Antonio was ranked the best dental school in the country.


No contest though the Houston students were the chillest.